The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary: Revised and Expanded

I have the first edition as a paper dictionary but I much prefer the electronic edition available on iOS. I wouldn’t really recommend paper dictionaries these days. This dictionary isn’t a general dictionary but helps you understand the meanings and usage of individual kanji. It has been curated to give carefully selected keywords and example vocabulary illustrating these. (I found that the keywords in the EDRDG dataset, the most common free dictionary resource, seem to list the Heisig keyword first. Fine for the Heisig method no doubt but some of these I find not so great for meaning. KKLD does it better) The base dictionary also links to homophones, and to two separate sister volumes on Usage and Synonyms. As an app it’s a bit expensive but comparable in price to the print edition. The print version only uses romaji for readings, the iOS version allows you to toggle between romaji and hiragana. It’s search is a bit disappointing. It defiantly sticks to SKIP codes invented by the editor. Fine when it was in print but there are better options on iOS (multi-radical and drawn input). I usually copy paste the kanji I’m interested in. The kanji in the compounds are cross indexed for further exploration. I like it enough to have bought it 4 times now. Print, first iOS version which turned out to be unauthorized, iPhone edition, and lastly the iPad revised edition (and usage and synonym expansions) The main facets it’s missing are etymology, phonetic groupings, character shapes confused by learners, and examples in various styles of typeface and script.